Sakura Festival
by Mato-Gin
Summary: Hikaru tells them that there's no way they could beat Toya in go but with the prize of the right to be the one to confess to him under the mythed laughing sakura tree, Waya, Mitani, Kaga, and Isumi won't give up! But as the fated day comes closer, Akira wonders what Ko Yeong Ha has to do with all of this?
1. Days Before the Festival

**These are different days before the festival :3**

* * *

The Sakura Festival was coming up soon and Hikaru couldn't wait. He's met so many people since the Go tournament and even the Koreans were still here to enjoy the upcoming event. He immediately called Waya.

"Hey Waya, do you want to go to the Sakura festival?"

"Hmn? Sure, I was actually going to call you later tonight to ask the same thing."

Both sounded enthusiastic over the phone talking what they were planning to do.

"Well, I'll see you later then."

"Alright, bye."

At the other side, Waya turned off his phone in content. _This time, _he thought, _I'll tell him. _

…

* * *

The next day, Hikaru had to go to the grocery store to buy a couple things his mom needed. As he was reaching for the milk, he saw a familiar orange in the corner of his eye.

"Mitani!"

The red head looked like a kid as he turned.

"Hikaru, hey."

Hikaru gave a bright smile.

"I haven't seen you in a while," Yuki remarked.

"Yeah," he nodded. There was a bit of a silence until Hikaru thought of something and his head perked up. "You know, the Sakura Festival is coming up soon, maybe we should go together."

The red head's face became pink.

"Alright," he shyly turned away, "I'm free anyways."

The blonde smiled. "Good. I'll see you there then."

His friend's face was still hot and he couldn't refrain from laughing which turned him even more flushed. As he looked Mitani up and down, he noticed he was carrying a bunch of cup of noodles. He grabbed it and Yuki yelled out.

"Hey!"

"Do you eat this all the time?" Hikaru asked sternly.

"Yeah," he answered. "What's wrong with it?"

"You shouldn't eat these too much. They're bad for you."

Mitani pouted. So what?

"You should come over for dinner," Hikaru invited. "I'm going to try to make kakuni."

He tightened his lips meekly. It was a bit miserable not being able to talk Hikaru for a while but it gave him time to think things over. There was something in his chest that he's been meaning to tell him. He had to control his breathing from giving it away. The Sakura Festival was his chance!

…

* * *

Akira just got home. He opened the door and threw his jacket at the couch and loosened his tie. It was fun playing go with some of the pros he met a while back but it was still tiring. The moment he sank into the chair, the doorbell rang.

"Agh~" he sighed. He just sat down!

He went up and answered it but his mood immediately lightened when he saw his face. Hikaru was standing at the door waiting.

"Shindo?"

"Hey Toya," he greeted.

Akira opened the door wider letting him in.

"That's alright," the blond stopped him. "I just came by to ask you something."

He tilted his head. "What is it?" Toya remembered he didn't live close around here.

"If you wanted to go the Sakura Festival with me," he smiled.

Toya's eyes brightened. But he already made plans just a while ago with the people he was with to go somewhere! His eyes softened.

"Sure," he smiled. "I'll go with you."

"Great!"

It felt good just to see him happy.

"See you later then!"

Hikaru waved goodbye and ran off. He closed the door feeling all energetic.

Now, he just needed to clear things up. He quickly reached for his phone. Shindo was definitely signaling him to let him finally confess what was bogging his mind!

…

* * *

"Kaga," Hikaru asked out of the blue. "Do you like to wear yukatas a lot?"

"Hmn?"

The question caught him off guard as he stopped reading and looked at his friend lying on the floor. He held his manga book hovering over his chest waiting for his answer.

The dark haired boy rubbed his head thinking. But he wasn't wearing one right now.

"Well, sometimes it's more comfortable than normal clothes I guess. Plus, it's really cool wearing traditional clothes when everyone else is just wearing jeans."

"Then maybe you can wear it at the Sakura Festival," Hikaru laughed. "I mean if you want to go with me."

His head irked. "You want to go to the festival with me?" Kaga asked to make sure he wasn't day dreaming.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "Why not?"

Kaga gave a boyish smile. "Maybe we should get a yukata for you too."

…..

* * *

Hikaru chugged his milk as quickly as he could and heavily set the cup down.

"Ah~" he breathed.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and heard a laugh.

"Are you still drinking milk to get taller?" Isumi teased as he walked in the kitchen.

He turned around embarrassed. "You hang out in my house too much!"

Isumi usually came often to play go or to just hang out but it always made it so he had no privacy.

"I thought you like my company," he smiled.

Hikaru pouted. "We should go out," he suggested. "Maybe we should go to the Sakura Festival just so you don't come here."

"Harsh," Isumi joked.

It might have been, but he didn't mind the idea.

"If you want to go to the festival, maybe we should wear a yukata."

Hikaru's face brightened. "Yeah! Actually, I was already planning to get one tomorrow. We should go together!"

…

* * *

Hikaru laid on his bed thinking. If he was going to get a new yukata with Isumi and Kaga, then Mitani, Toya, and Waya should come along! He reached over to his phone and dialed Yuki's and Waya's number.

"Hey," he started. "Want to meet up at my house tomorrow?"

….

* * *

Waya got out of his house early and started walking down the street. He couldn't believe Hikaru actually wanted to get a new yukata for this! His face put on a slight blush. _It must be really important then, _his thoughts were still shy. But it was good then. They were both going to make this special.

As he reached Hikaru's house, someone else came by.

"Kaga?"

The guy looked at him. "Waya, what are you doing here?"

"I came because Hikaru asked if I can come to get a new yukata with him."

"But I'm going with him," Kaga frowned.

"Both of you are?" a voice asked.

The two turned and saw Toya with a confused face.

"But he asked me," another person popped up and Waya looked behind him to see Mitani.

Suddenly, the door opened and Hikaru came out of the house.

"Yeah," he was saying to someone behind him.

They all stared as Isumi came out with him. He was smiling until he saw the others waiting out front and stopped.

"What are you guys doing here?" Isumi asked; a question they were all thinking about each other.

"Oh, I asked them to come along," Hikaru answered.

All the guys looked at him with their mouths opened.

"Aren't we all coming together?" he asked with an innocent face.

All of them turned away feeling the same thing. _What the hell?_


	2. Change of Plans

All of them were sullen as they went home.

"Bye," Hikaru called out as they all turned out to leave.

Each gave a slight nod, waved, and headed off.

_What's wrong with them?_ He thought to himself. They were all happy when they said yes to coming. As he locked the door behind him, he set his new yukata aside.

Well, whatever. He was pretty sure they were going to get over it once the festival started. Who wouldn't be in a happy mood once they saw the laughing cherry blossom tree? It was the main attraction of the now most famous sakura viewing spot and it was rumored to make all their wishes come true. For sure, they could all promise to strive to be the strongest go player of their time there!

….

* * *

As the days wore on, everyone still seemed to be troubled.

"What do you mean you aren't sure you're going to the festival?!" he yelled.

He asked each of them individually but they gave the same vague answers.

"I _am_ going," they answered shakily. "I just have some things to think over."

All of them sort of avoided him after giving him that bs answer and from being probed deeper by any other questions. They all had that determined look before they left as if thinking about something.

He sighed sitting next to Kaga one afternoon.

"Everyone doesn't seem to want to come anymore," he complained.

Kaga looked at him raising an eyebrow. "You seriously don't know why?"

"They said they wanted to play go," he answered rolling his eyes, "but we can always play another time _after_ the festival. They said they needed to decide who's better or something, but didn't they already see who in the tournament? It's still too early to change the results when they know each other's strength and weaknesses!"

He sighed at Hikaru's answer and got up.

"Wait!" Hikaru called out. "You're still going to go, right?" Kaga was the only one he hadn't asked yet.

"Maybe," he gave the same type of vague answer. "Sorry, but I have to go," he continued walking.

The boy went up and followed him.

"You can't follow me!" he yelled shaking him off.

"Why not?!" he stubbornly shot back. "Where are you going?"

His eyebrows furrowed and his face turned slightly red as he stopped trying to push him away.

"To play go,"

Hikaru let his arms drop as he looked up at his friend with defeated eyes. _Not you too…_

…..

* * *

Everyone was gathered around three go boards on the tatami floor getting ready when the door slammed open and they turned around. Hikaru was seething angrily with his hand to the screen door.

"Stop playing," he ordered.

They all turned their focus to the person behind him. _What the heck, Kaga?_ Mitani thought annoyed. He wasn't supposed to know where they were. The culprit only turned his head guilty. He couldn't shake Hikaru off even when he said no. They all sat there frozen.

"Fine," the boy finally gave up. "Let me play too, then."

"Sorry, Hikaru," Isumi told him in a stern face, "but this is for us only."

The boy went up to them and sat down.

"You have three boards right here," he pointed out, "We can play three games at a time with an even number."

"Hikaru," Akira softly called out. "This is really important. You can't play."

The blonde finally snapped from being excluded. "What are you guys competing for anyways?"

Everyone seemed so determined to play. He got that it was an addicting and intriguing fun game, but there was something else going on. There was an awkward silence as they all turned their heads. Akira covered his mouth with his hand when he noticed that Hikaru was staring at him the most.

"What?" he asked.

"You're the one being most unfair," Hikaru accused. "You know everyone here can't beat you yet."

All of them snapped their heads back up with eyes open. _Oops. _Hikaru looked around. He shouldn't have said that.

They all gritted their teeth except Toya where a small hidden smirk crept up.

"Ahem," he blushed at his honesty and tried covering it up with a fake cough.

Kaga pushed Hikaru out of the way. "We'll just see about that!"

He went and took Hikaru's spot on the go board in front of Akira. Was that a direct challenge?

"Yeah!" Waya joined in. "We haven't played yet!"

Mitani and Isumi nodded with them and they all gathered to face each other.

"Just go wait outside," the four of them turned to Hikaru, "and wait till you see just how good we are!"

They pushed him out of the room and locked the door.

"Hey!" he yelled hitting the door.

He sighed frustrated. _What's gotten into those guys?!_

…

* * *

It was fun that they were all go freaks but why was he being left out? He was one too!

He was filled in a bad mood when he entered the go salon. It was a different one than the one he usually went to since he didn't want to bump into anyone he knew; he didn't want to see anyone that would remind him of those four. The blond went ahead and sat down at one of the tables and started playing by himself.

If they wanted to play go all day long and maybe miss the Sakura Festival, then that's just fine with him! He slapped a stone hard on the wooden piece.

"Is that how you learned how to play?"

Hikaru shot his head up not noticing that a frown was still pasted at his face. The person greeted him with a smirk.

"Yeong Ha," Hikaru called out in surprise.

"Mind if I play?" he asked already taking a seat.

"I thought you wouldn't be the type to go to Go salons," the boy remarked as he cleared the stones of the board.

"Yeah, well I was just wandering around looking for something interesting. I didn't think I'd bump into you here though."

Yeong Ha looked around and Hikaru laughed.

"You lost Soyun, didn't you?"

The Korean scoffed. He didn't need Soyun to guide him! He was already used to Japan.

The red head leaned forward as his orange hair fell near his hand that held up his face. He didn't intend on playing seriously when he was still at his break before he went back to Korea. His eyes playfully analyzed the boy in front of him.

Hikaru noticed the other boy's gaze and stopped; he took a small look back at him then looked away. _Damn, he and Mitani had the same hair, _theblond threw the stones back into the container.

"Did your girlfriend break up with you?" Yeong Ha teased.

"What?!" Hikaru leaned back in surprise. "No!"

The Korean turned his head disappointed. "Yeah, you wouldn't have a girlfriend."

The boy blushed hard. When did this guy get so friendly?! And is this how he speaks when he finally learned Japanese?!

"I just thought you looked really mad," he continued.

Hikaru slumped back in his chair. "It's not that," he grumbled. "It's just some of my friends are being really difficult."

"Oh," the other boy turned back interested but calmed when he saw his face and decided to drop it.

If he said any more maybe he'd tick the boy off.

…...

* * *

The two started to set up the board and start the game but after a while, Hikaru's play seemed really distracted. This wasn't how an experienced player should play! It wasn't even worth continuing.

"Just stop," Yeong Ha let out annoyed.

The boy looked up and he could see the emotion in his eyes.

"Maybe you should take a break," the Korean sighed. Hikaru looked at him tired and Yeong Ha couldn't hold it in anymore. "There are other ways to get your mind clear," he suggested.

When there was just silence, the Korean stood up to go when he suddenly remembered something.

"There's going to be a festival soon," he said turning back.

"Yeah, the Sakura Festival," the boy answered.

He wore a sad face which the Korean didn't get.

"The laughing sakura tree, that's what's it's called right?" Yeong Ha smiled trying to cheer him up. "I've been hearing a lot about it. They say that if you ask someone a question under that tree, the person always goes with it saying yes, no matter how ridiculous it is. There was something about the tree having special powers but I forgot about it already. Maybe you could show it to me."

Hikaru finally smiled. "And what are you going to ask me?"

The red hed kept a secretive smirk. "You'll know when you take me."


End file.
